The Witcher 3 was a massive series step forward, and CDPR wants a similar glow-up for Cyberpunk 2077's sequel
Nov. 1, 2023“We want a similar evolution here”
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CD Projekt RedwantsCyberpunk 2077to see a series-long transformation in line with that of its Witcher trilogy.
In an interview withPC Gamer, Cyberpunk 2077 narrative director Igor Sarzyński says, “Consider The Witcher games and how much they changed with each installment. We want a similar evolution here.”
Honestly, it’s pretty hard to envisage that evolution for Cyberpunk. When The Witcher 1 was released, CD Projekt Red was a tiny developer with relatively little experience. While the game has since become something of a cult classic (inasmuch as that’s possible for the foundation stone of one of the best RPGs of the past decade), it’s pretty janky, with odd combat controls, ugly NPCs, some questionable acting, and open-world sections that still haunt me.
Even The Witcher 2 was a massive step up from its predecessor, and while it didn’t quite live up to the freedom of The Witcher 3, it’s a much more conventionally enjoyable effort. Of course, the third entry in Geralt’s trilogy established CDPR as one of the world’s leading RPG developers, completing that evolution. But watching Cyberpunk 2077 - already a massive, polished RPG - undergo that kind of change in three games seems like an almost impossible task.
Sarzyński clarifies, however, that it’s more a question of tone and setting than delivery; “Cyberpunk 2077 was our first venture into a futuristic sci-fi world with a ton of new gameplay mechanics, narrative tone, themes, and art direction. Some of the stuff worked almost right out of the box, such as the art, city design, music, interactive scene system, [and] playstyles. Other aspects took more time to get right, like character progression, NPC interactivity, and optimization. That’s natural; it’s impossible to nail everything on your first try. Now with all the game elements iterated and working well, we’ll focus on connecting them even tighter and creating a coherent, total immersion experience.”
CDPR says it’s learned its lessons from the Cyberpunk 2077 console launch, and won’t repeat its mistakes for The Witcher 4.
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I’m GamesRadar’s news editor, working with the team to deliver breaking news from across the industry. I started my journalistic career while getting my degree in English Literature at the University of Warwick, where I also worked as Games Editor on the student newspaper, The Boar. Since then, I’ve run the news sections at PCGamesN and Kotaku UK, and also regularly contributed to PC Gamer. As you might be able to tell, PC is my platform of choice, so you can regularly find me playing League of Legends or Steam’s latest indie hit.
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